OPTICAL DETECTOR MODULE, MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETECTING PRESENCE OF A SUBSTANCE IN A TEST MATERIAL

摘要

Embodiments of the invention comprise apparatus and methods for detecting the presence of a substance in a test material using a plurality of wavelength-specific couplers (e.g. tilted fibre gratings) which provide a spatially distributed multi-node all-optical measurement system. Each node of the measurement system can comprise an optical module that is sensitive to the intensity of a limited band of wavelengths. The node is thus capable of detecting the presence of an absorption peak in a spectrum without having to obtain the full spectrum. By providing a plurality of optical modules that are sensitive to different wavelengths, the spectral signature of different substances may be monitored without having to measure full spectra. The measurement system may be particularly useful in a process control environment where it is desirable to take measurements of one or more substances in different locations.